


The Heart Leads The Way

by heroiccaptain



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bilbo Remains In Erebor, Consort Bilbo Baggins, Domestic Fluff, Dwarf Culture & Customs, Dwarven Politics, Everybody Lives, Good King Thorin, Happy Ending, M/M, Married Life, a bit of angst but it'll turn out fine and i can promise you that, implied xenophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:20:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24937462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heroiccaptain/pseuds/heroiccaptain
Summary: Kíli can't wait to propose to Tauriel, but Thorin must be cautious in his permission, because he knows his nephew's marriage also means an alliance with Thranduil. It's a delicate matter for a King that's also an uncle. For Thorin's sake, Bilbo is always by his side, willing to help him run Erebor and all the politics that comes from that.However, while Thorin is deeply in love with his consort, not all dwarves are fond of the hobbit.Life in Erebor is not always as peaceful as it may seem to be. Will the heart lead the way?
Relationships: Background Kili/Tauriel, Bilbo Baggins & Dís, Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield, Dís & Thorin Oakenshield, Kíli & Thorin Oakenshield, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 74





	1. Is Love A Matter Of Politics?

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this while having wine and I enjoyed it. Hope you enjoy it too! 
> 
> If you spot any mistakes, the reason, as you can presume, can be found in the first sentence.

One of the dining tables of the beautiful ballrooms of Erebor was crowded. Surrounded by torches, the long table contained several types of meat and cheese. They were drinking wine and they were drinking beer, but one could not tell which came first. The sound of laughter echoed as several dwarves lords dined with the King and his consort, a hobbit wearing a red suit, quietly sipping wine and enjoying his food. 

Sitting right in front of Bilbo, Kíli took a long sip of beer, what seemed to be a long sip of courage and finally spoke. 

— Uncle, have you thought about my request? 

An unusual silence reigned at the table. Bilbo turned his face to look at Thorin, who seemed reflective. 

— Kíli, you are too young. I cannot allow you to propose to an elf without knowing the opinion of Dís on the matter. 

— Mother said she would discuss it with you — he insisted while Fíli tried to support his brother, nodding. The others were silent. 

— She hasn’t yet —Thorin said, continuing his meal, presuming the conversation concluded. 

— But uncle...

— Finish your meal, laddie — Lord Balin intervened and Fíli gave his sibling support. 

Kíli had been impatient towards the matter. He was in love with Tauriel and wanted to propose to her at any second, to live every day beside her in Erebor and compensate the time apart. 

However, things weren’t that simple. Being in the line of the throne made every marriage become a matter of politics. 

His marriage with Tauriel would eventually promote a meeting between Thorin and Thranduil, which he knew was the reason why his uncle had been avoiding the conversation. 

For Kíli, it didn’t matter. He loved Tauriel and wanted to be with her. No one could stop a dwarf in love and he had learned that from Thorin himself, when his uncle proudly married a hobbit, even though not all dwarves were tolerant with his presence. 

— He’s being so stubborn, Bilbo — Thorin sighted, holding his consort's hand as they entered their quarters after dinner.

— He’s in love, Thorin. 

— Aye, he is. He doesn’t understand. The matter involves much more than their will to marry each other. I’m sure Tauriel knows this and Thranduil isn’t in a hurry. Why must Kíli be so impetuous, then?

— Well — Bilbo pulled his husband closer, adjusting his night robe — The stubbornness runs in the family. 

  
  


Thorin’s shoulders relaxed immediately, as a smile formed in his lips. He held Bilbo’s arms and kissed his little nose. 

Who was he to talk about Kíli’s hurry when he was the one that was so eager to arrange his wedding to Bilbo, right after the coronation? 

Their scars from that long battle were still visible when they said their vows to each other, but that didn’t matter. Only their love did. 

As Thorin glanced at Bilbo, he understood he couldn’t be so harsh with his nephew, no matter how difficult it was to accept that he would, eventually, have to arrange a meeting with Thranduil. His nephew wanted to marry the love of his life as quickly as possible and that was something Thorin Oakenshield understood very well since he fell in love with a certain hobbit.

— Only when our hearts lead the way,  _ ghivashel _ . Which is completely my case — he placed passionate kisses on Bilbo’s cheeks, forehead, nose and neck. 

Bilbo chuckled with affection. As he was about to kiss Thorin’s lips, a dwarf knocked on their door. 

— Your Majesty? The papers you wanted to sign this afternoon finally arrived. Will you-

— I’ll sign them by the morning — he said, while placing kisses on Bilbo’s shoulders — I’m done for the day. 

— Done for the day? What about for the night? — the hobbit playfully stated. 

— The night,  _ ghivashel  _ — Thorin spoke, while the hobbit guided him to bed — has barely begun. 

They smiled at each other, as they laid madly in love. 

[...] 

Dís arrived by the morning, from her trip to the East. Privacy and boundaries between siblings was a concept she didn’t know of, as she entered the king and consort’s quarters, terrifying the dwarves who tried to stop her along the way. 

— Morning, lads! — she shouted, opening the curtains. 

Bilbo embarrassedly covered his naked body with the blankets and an alarmed Thorin woke up, doing the same. 

— Dís! Couldn’t you wait outside? 

— And miss the chance of making you embarrassed? Ha! — she wandered around —Hello, Bilbo. How’s my brother treating ye? 

— Good, Dís. Very good — a timid hobbit answered, cheeks burning red. 

—Will you state your urgency, my dear sister? — Thorin sat at the bed and put on his shirt.

— Kíli asked me to come meet ye as soon as I arrived. Well, I arrived. 

Bilbo stared at the floor, processing how Dís took matters quite literally. 

—Has he asked for your permission to marry Tauriel? And are you aware of the...implications? 

— Aye. I’ve never seen him like that, Thorin. He may be young, but he knows what he’s doing. I want him to be happy — Thorin began to protest, but she interrupted him — and yes, brother, I know you want that too. I also know you have to worry about Erebor, that you’ll need to forge an alliance with the Elven King. Would that be so hard? 

— You clearly haven’t met him — Bilbo tilted his head. 

— Clearly. It would and we can’t hurry, no matter how much Kíli wants to hurry. If he has your permission, then I support his marriage, aye, but we must be careful with the elves. 

— Very good then. I’ll leave, before I bother you two — she left the quarters, with a sassy smile on her face. 

—  _ Before  _ — Thorin scoffed. 

Bilbo laughed and moved closer, resting his head on the dwarf’s chest. 

—Morning,  _ ghivashel  _ — he placed a kiss on the hobbit’s head, absentmindedly. 

—Are you alright? Having to arrange a meeting with Thranduil, I mean. I know it’s the right thing to do for Kíli and I’m happy for him, but I know Thranduil will enjoy making things more difficult than they have to be. 

— He most certainly will, Bilbo. I’m not comfortable with this, but it’s for Kíli. Kíli’s happiness. I’ll do whatever I can. 

— I know you will, my love — Bilbo placed a kiss on the dwarf’s hand. 

— Besides, I’ll keep my burglar near, to guide me — he ran his fingers through Bilbo’s naked chest — to accompany me. 

— Always by your side, Thorin — he cupped his face — Always. 

The dwarf closed the gap between them, placing a tender kiss on Bilbo’s soft lips. The hobbit kissed him back, half smiling, passionate by the way Thorin’s beard brushed against his cheeks. 

—There’s a book in the library — Bilbo snapped his fingers, making Thorin instantly amused —Marriage Laws For Dwarves. 

— How do you know that, Master Baggins? 

— I read some of it, before our wedding.

— Of course you did — Thorin smiled at him.

—It may not be of much assistance, but at least we can present legal limitations, in case Thranduil tries to take advantage of the alliance. Hum, elves. — he said in a confident manner while searching for his robe. 

Bilbo Baggins had been much more than just the burglar of the Arkenstone. He had been a helpful, intelligent consort, often presenting inusitated ideas for the well being of the kingdom. Thorin was usually admired by his wit and commitment. He was also deeply in love with the halfling. 

Thorin placed a passionate kiss on his lips, a beam of light on his face. 

—Each day I wake up more in love with you. 

Bilbo hugged him back. In moments like this, he felt a relief take over his body. The relief of being able to have Thorin by his side. To feel that Erebor was his home just as it was Thorin’s. 

— I love you. I’ll be right back — he kissed the king's cheek and left their quarters in his calm pace. 

The library of the palace used to be dusty and dark, but since the hobbit's arrival, it suddenly became a comfortable and clean space, the way he liked it.

He looked around, searching for the book on the shelves. Oddly, it had been moved. 

“Maybe a curious dwarf rearranged it”, Bilbo thought. 

Marriage Laws For Dwarves was now on a higher shelf, one he almost couldn’t reach. On his tiptoes, he finally managed to reach it and smiled proudly at himself for facing another of the adversities only a hobbit faced in Erebor. 

Suddenly, a rock, placed upon another book, fell on his head and Bilbo tumbled on the cold ground, unconscious. 


	2. Love Is Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thorin takes care of Bilbo and finds out who were the responsibles for placing the rock in the library. He also gives an answer to Kíli's request.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ended up being shorter than I imagined, because I kinda lost the encouragement of writing more than this, but I wanted to finish no matter what, just in case someone was curious about the ending! 
> 
> If you left kudos and/or commented on the first chapter, I thank you. This chapter was made encouraged by you :) If you're here to read it, thank you so much and I hope you like it!

— GET OUT OF THE WAY! NOW! 

Thorin carried an unconscious Bilbo in his arms through the halls of Erebor. 

Moments before, Balin found Bilbo lying there in the library and called for him, immediately. The King, of course, ran as fast as he could to save his consort. 

— I’ll lay him on our bed. Call Oin. Tell him to run. Go! 

Two dwarves, followed by Lord Balin left their quarters in a hurry.

— Bilbo, my love, Bilbo...you’ll be alright...please, wake up. Oin is coming — tears rolled down his cheeks —Please, speak to me. 

— Thorin… — he managed to say with difficulty, still unsure of the surroundings.

— Yes, yes,  _ ghivashel  _ — Thorin kissed his forehead — It’s alright, I’ll take care of you.

— I’m here! — Oin entered quickly and examined the halfling carefully. 

— Is it serious, Oin? 

— No, Thorin. It is a cut and bled quite a lot, aye, but not too deep to be a severe injury. I’ll cover the wound and after a bath and rest, he’ll be fine. You’ll be fine, Bilbo!

Bilbo gestured something that seemed to be a “thank you”, but it was far too unconsciously to tell. 

After an herbal tea Oin gave him, he finally opened his eyes. 

— Thorin, I don’t know what happened, I-

— Shh. Don’t worry, my love. I’ll take you to the bath now. 

Carefully putting the hobbit in the bathtub, Thorin washed his body, cleaning the blood from his neck and back, all while placing gentle kisses on him. 

— What happened? — the hobbit asked, confused. 

— I’ll find out, Bilbo. I promise. 

— I love you so, Thorin — Bilbo held his hand tight. 

— And I love you, ghivashel. I’ll get your towels and be right back. Is that alright? 

— Yes, you can go. I’m fine. 

As Thorin reached for the towels, Kíli bursted into the room, a worried look on his face. 

— Uncle! 

— No, Kíli. Not now. 

— I came as soon as I heard about what happened. How’s Bilbo?! Is he alright?! 

Thorin looked at him and took a breath for the first time that night. His nephew was genuinely worried. His nephew was a kind dwarf and deserved to be happy, to marry someone he loved the way Thorin loved Bilbo. The hobbit was part of the family and so would be the elf. To care about one another. That was what family meant. 

Thorin pulled his nephew close and hugged him for a few seconds. 

— He will be, Kíli. He will be. Thank you. 

He returned to meet Bilbo and afterwards, laid beside him in bed. 

It didn’t take long for the other dwarves to find the ones responsible for a rock to be placed in such an odd location. In the next morning, the two dwarves responsible for it were summoned to a meeting with the King. 

—It was only a prank, Your Majesty. 

— A prank??? 

— We didn’t know the hobbit would be injured, Your Majesty. We just thought, well, we thought it would be funny since he is, huh, you know...different. 

— Funny, eh? How funny would it be to be surrounded by another kind of people, to feel unwanted in a land you want to call home? Don’t you remember your  _ roots _ , lads? We dwarves were unwanted and rejected in every place we’ve been to. If you feel at home now, _ it’s only because of that hobbit _ . Instead of thanking him, you play dangerous pranks. 

Thorin spoke loudly and in a serious tone. The two dwarves looked down, embarrassed. 

— You can’t injure people just because they’re different. That’s called ignorance and I will  _ not  _ allow that in Erebor. 

— We apologize, Your Majesty. 

— You own an apology to Bilbo. 

The dwarves went on their way to apologize to the hobbit and Thorin’s next order was that every dwarf of Erebor would have to educate themselves about respecting differences. Thorin would rule Erebor to be fair and tolerant, as every other kingdom should be.

A week afterwards, Bilbo was finally recovered from the injury and had left bed to dine with the others. 

Having the hobbit sitting again at the table made all the dwarves around feel very nostalgic. Lord Balin was telling some of the adventures during their quest to the Lonely Mountain and Dís smiled in awe, admiring the courage of her brother-in-law. There was a celebratory atmosphere on the air, which Thorin thought it was suitable for him to make an announcement. 

— Kíli...I thought of your request. 

A silence reigned at the table. Kíli looked up, worried about his uncle’s decision. 

Thorin smiled at Bilbo, who smiled right back at him. 

— I’ve sent a letter to Thranduil and he already replied. In the next month, we’ll meet and arrange your wedding with Tauriel. 

— Uncle! Really? — he smiled at his mother and then hugged Fíli, who was cheering right beside him — That’s wonderful! 

— It is what you deserve, my nephew. To be married to someone you love. It’s the greatest treasure of all — he looked tenderly at Bilbo. 

— Well, I guess that requires a toast — Bilbo raised his glass and the others followed his gesture — To Kíli and Tauriel, who knows love has no barriers. Who knows that love is the only destination when the heart leads the way.

— To Kíli and Tauriel! — they all cheered. 

  
  


[...]

  
  


— Your Majesty? 

— Hum? — Thorin was about to kiss Bilbo on the lips. 

— The Elven King arrived. 

— Aye, thank you. 

— Are you ready? — Bilbo adjusted the king’s clothes. 

— With you by my side, Bilbo, I’m ready for any adventure on our way — he finally placed the kiss he intended. 

Bilbo placed a gentle kiss on Thorin’s cheek in return. 

— Then we must go. 

Hand in hand, Thorin and Bilbo left their quarters, to face Thranduil in a quest to negotiate the terms of an alliance, to tolerate the elves for the happiness of their nephew. To allow Kíli to have what they had found in each other. Love, the greatest treasure of all. 

As they walked down the hall together, their hearts were leading the way. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
